ADDICTION BLOG

National Drug Take Back Day

We don’t always use all of our prescriptions and often they lay dormant in our cabinets and drawers. This may seem harmless, and as long as no one else gets into them, they aren’t doing any damage. With the opioid epidemic in full swing, prescription medications are in high demand and these medications could be ripe for abuse. Children and teens can find these medications and abuse them, accidentally ingest them, or sell them to others for cash. None of which are good.

These are some of the many reasons why it is important to regularly check your medicine cabinets and drawers and see what you have that is either expired or no longer needed. These drugs should be removed from your home to ensure they aren’t misused or accidentally taken by anyone who they were not prescribed for. If you find prescriptions that are no longer necessary to keep there are a couple of safe ways to get rid of them. You can dispose of them at home following set guidelines or you can take them to one of the drop off locations that exist across the country during National Drug Take Back Day.

National Drug Take Back Day

Created by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), National Drug Take Back Day is a program designed to help individuals safely and responsibly rid their homes of prescriptions. In 2018 the DEA successfully took in over 900,000 pounds of medications. In 2019, there were 6,000 collection sites throughout the United States and these locations are both anonymous as well as free. Finding a location close to you is easy, just take a look at Take Back Day’s website.

Drug Disposal

There is no limit to how many prescriptions you can bring to your local drop-off location during Drug Take Back Day. This means that you can bring your own as well as those from friends and family who may be unable to make it out. This helps everyone stay safe.

If you are unable to make it to the location and you don’t know anyone who is attending a drop-off or if you prefer to dispose of your prescriptions yourself, you can do that too. The FDA guide provides information on how to properly dispose of medications at home. The EPA also has resources that give you information on proper disposal.

These agencies advise that for drugs you put in your home’s trash:

Remove the drugs from their container and mix them with something like dirt or cat litter so that they are unappealing for children who may accidentally come across them. This also helps to distort their appearance to anyone who is tempted to look in the trash for them.

Put drugs in containers or bags that close to prevent leaking.

Remove your personal information from the original package and throw it away.

Some medications can be flushed down the toilet.

In addition to the household trash and Take Back Day, there are also mail-in disposal kits you can choose to utilize. These are not free and do have a cost associated with them. However, they are convenient and you can be sure that your prescriptions will be taken care of in the right way.